Perception of Control Over Eating After Bariatric Surgery for Super-Obesity—a 2-Year Follow-Up Study

Abstract

Background

Physiological and psychosocial factors might contribute to differences in weight loss, eating behaviour and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) after bariatric surgery. The aim of this study was to investigate how perceived control over eating changes after bariatric surgery and whether it affects outcome in super-obese patients.

Methods

In a retrospective analysis of a prospective study (n = 60), 49 patients were divided into two groups based on eating control 2 years after surgery, as assessed by the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire-R21 (TFEQ-R21): 29 with good eating control (GC) and 20 patients with poor eating control (group PC). Eating behaviour and generic and condition-specific HRQoL was assessed by questionnaires.

Results

There were significant differences in all TFEQ-R21 domains 2 years after surgery in favour of group GC; uncontrolled eating p < 0.001, emotional eating p < 0.001 and for cognitive restraint p = 0.04. The improvement in HRQoL 2 years after surgery was significantly less in group PC compared to group GC in 7 of 8 SF-36 domains (p < 0.05). Mean (SD) percentage of excess body mass index lost was similar between groups, 71.2 (17.8) in group GC versus 65.4 (17.4) in group PC 2 years after surgery (p = 0.27). However, group GC had a significant weight loss between first and second year after surgery (p < 0.001) compared to group PC (p = 0.15).

Conclusions

In super-obese patients, perceived poor control over eating 2 years after bariatric surgery was associated with lower HRQoL and more emotional and cognitive restraint eating, than good control overeating.

Notes

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical Approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.